Rumors
by Enjie Yekcam
Summary: The Mews still have work, and school, but the aliens left. What happens when Retasu's anntenae pop out, and won't go back, Someone's uncovering the Mews, and The aliens come back? Also, More connections to each other than ever! IxK MintoxKeiichiro & more
1. Rumors

**Pairs: I got a review saying I should let you be left in the dark, so I hope you remembered the pairings from before! n.n**

**Rumors**

"_I heard that they're the girls in Café Mew Mew…"_

"_Really? I heard that they're aliens, trying to take the world for their own."_

"_I think they're escaped animals from Tokyo Zoo."_

"_What about that pink one? With the cat tails and ears? Some say that she's in love with one of the other aliens who are taking over the world."_

Ichigo watched her friends gossip about her and the other Mews, picking her food. You'd think on the last day of school they'd have something else to talk about. They began whispering in hushed voices about her. She stood up, her fire-red hair blazing with frustration. She was tired of everyone always talking about the Mews and bad mouthing them and saying what they thought they were but they weren't. She whirled around and burst out of the cafeteria doors.

"Stupid people," She murmured, hearing the bell ring for school to end. (In my school, we get out after lunch on the last two days of school.) "Can't they tell we're the Mews? We even have the same names. We look alike, and we even _sound_ alike! This world is full of idiots!"

"Are you talking about me?"

Ichigo whirled around to see Masaya standing behind her.

"Oh, no Aoyama-kun. You're the only other human who knows about the Mews." Ichigo giggled and brought her newly painted nails to her mouth. "Look, Aoyama-kun, it even stays pink when I'm a cat!"

"What about when you're a Mew?" Masaya asked, placing a sleeved arm around Ichigo's shoulders.

"Oh! I don't know! I've never taken off my gloves when I've transformed!" Ichigo retorted, walking with Masaya away from the school. "I'll have to try that sometime!"

"Yeah…. Hey, Ichigo?" Ichigo still blushed whenever Masaya called her by her given name. "You don't have to go to work for a couple hours, right? You go in at regular time this day, right?"

"Actually, no. Shirogane wants us in early today. He wants to tell us something. You wanna come?" Ichigo bounced up and down.

"Oh, uh… no, no I'm alright. I'll catch ya later, Ichigo." He said. He turned around and began walking back the other direction.

"Ja ne, Aoyama-kun!" Ichigo called after him, waving wildly. She raced happily up to the café and into it.

"Shirogane! Akasaka-san! I'm here!" She called into the deserted-looking building. She wandered into the back and clasped a hand onto the rusted basement doorknob, turning it sharply to the left and opening it.

Ichigo wandered down the stairs carefully, because it was pitch black in the tunnel leading to the lab. She knew exactly how many steps were going to the bottom, because she'd been down there so many times. She was at least confident that she wouldn't fall.

She reached the bottom of the stairs and was surprised to see the other Mews already there.

"Finally, Ichigo-san!" Retasu said. "I was beginning to worry."

Ichigo's green-haired friend had her work uniform on and a brand new hat. It was bobby-pinned to her hair, which—Ichigo thought—totally clashed with the green in the hat.

"Mah, gomen nasai, but I think Aoyama-kun was about to ask me out." Ichigo retorted, folding her arms and sticking out her tongue.

"What ever you do," Ryou warned, facing Ichigo with serious blue eyes. "_Don't _let your ears and tail pop out."

"Nani? What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked. She turned to the other girls, and got a good look at them. They all looked serious. "What's happened?"

Retasu took off the bobby-pins lightly and removed the hat, letting her hair-ribbons flow gently off of her hair and down her backside.

"Retasu, I didn't know you could make your ribbon thingies come out!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"I can't, and now they won't go back in." Retasu said, with bitterness in her voice for the very fist time. "I dropped a few plates onto a woman's foot, and was so embarrassed that they popped out and won't go back in. I was lucky the fins didn't pop out, I wouldn't be able to walk."

"But, did the woman see it?" Ichigo inquired. Retasu shook her head. "Good, now, why won't they go back in?"

"We don't know!" Minto screeched, clearly frustrated. "All we know is that they came out and we don't know why!"

Ryou clapped his hand over Minto's mouth. "Be quiet!" He hissed. "We think that emotions make them come out, and this time, they won't go back in."

THE END!

Wow… the good stuff happens later, I'm afraid. But I'll give you some of the problems that happen.

1. The aliens return!

2. What's this about a newspaper and the Mews?

3. More ears and tails than anyone could ever imagine!

4. Problems in Aoyama-kun Paradise? Nahhhh...

REVIEW please!


	2. Let's See Minto!

Chapter Two: Let's See Minto!

"Her ribbons won't go back in?" Ichigo asked, her head drooping.

"Does that mean we're all going to have to act super happy all the time and never get mad at anyone?" Minto asked, crossing her arms and fuming.

"Actually, we think that it is because you get too much emotion altogether." Keiichiro stated, shaking his head. "Either you exert too much of your regular emotion, or you have a totally new emotion."

"So, I can't be sad, Purin can't be depressed, it's too late for Retasu, Minto can't be nice, and Zakuro-san can't be happy?" Ichigo asked once more.

"Hey!" Everyone shouted. They immediately started shouting at each other.

"I'm happy, I just show it differently!" Zakuro confronted, crossing her arms.

"Purin can't be depressed na no da! It's UNNATURAL!" The monkey jumped around a ball, knocking down things everywhere.

"It's NOT too late for me!" Retasu's ribbons bounced up and down as the girl shivered in fright.

"IF I'M NOT NICE, THEN YOU'RE A DOG!" Minto insulted Ichigo.

"I'M NOT A DOG!" Ichigo whined.

"Bark-a-dee-bark-bark!"

"THEN YOU'RE A FISHIE!" Ichigo smirked. She pressed her lips into a pucker and made fish noises.

"HEY!" Retasu shouted. "I'M THE FISH!"

"PORPISE AREN'T FISH!" Minto screamed.

"LORIKEETS AREN'T BLUE!" Purin shouted.

"YES THEY ARE! _TIHATTI BLUE LORIKEET!_"

"_STOP SHOUTING, EVERYONE!_" Ryou's voice was louder than everyone else, so they all got quiet and watched him carefully. "Stop shouting, stop arguing, stop TALKING! If I hear ONE MORE WORD that isn't relevant, I'm going to scream!"

There was a long silence. Then finally Keiichiro spoke.

"Just go on with your daily lives, and everything should turn out for the best."

"Except for one thing,"

All attention was turned to Zakuro.

"The aliens aren't here."

"They haven't been here for months, Zakuro-san." Ichigo said, her eyes drooping.

"What do they have to do with anything anymore, na no da?" Purin asked, inwardly sighing.

"We have no use for transforming now. It seems kind of pointless." Zakuro continued.

"I blame Shirogane for telling me I would be back to normal." Ichigo griped, folding her arms and sweat dropping.

"Whatever. Don't you think that could be the reason why this is happening? Do we miss the fighting, the suspense, the danger so much that our DNA is manifesting all across Tokyo?" Zakuro asked.

"That could be it," Keiichiro suggested. "We'll look into that."

"Now go home, and be here tomorrow. I'll have a new uniform for Retasu made to hide the ribbons." Ryou said, waving his hand towards the doors.

"Humph! How rude!" Ichigo stomped out and left the café.

That night was a Friday, so Minto decided she was going to have a Mew sleepover.

"Onee-sama?" Minto said into the phone. "I'm having a sleepover! Please come."

"Alright, the others are here, so we'll be right there. Give us five minutes."

"Hai, ja ne."

Minto hung up the blue fluffy phone and sighed. The room was too dark for the time of day, and she was getting a little peeved.

"I'll just go re-polish my pendant…." She said to herself out loud.

Minto made her way down the dark passage of her house, into her blue room, with the blue box with a lock. She took the key off from her necklace and opened the box. Inside her was Mew pendant.

All other noise in the house stopped. Minto's breathing silenced. She could almost feel her wings manifesting in her back.

Then the opening of a window shattered that quietness.

Minto jerked around, scared to death.

"Who's there?" She whispered, walking through her house and holding her pendant tightly. "Onee-sama? Is that you? Ichigo? Retasu? Purin? Anyone?"

There were hushed voices. They were very discreet, like they didn't want to be found.

"Ichigo! I know it's you! Come out!"

But Ichigo was no where to be seen. The doors were closed and the windows were still locked. Yet, there was a movement in the next room, the living room. Minto squeezed her pendant and whispered into it.

"There's someone in the house, Mews. Get over here!"

Minto wasn't sure if they had heard her, but she tried. Now all she had to do was check what the thing was. She took step after step, sweat pouring down her as she grabbed the door knob of the living room.

She wasn't sure what the thing was, because the second she opened the door, the door bell rang and the thing was out of the house before Minto saw what it was.

But it was brown.

THE END!

n.n I'm proud of myself. The next chapter will be good, yah! I know everyone's done the sleepover thing before, but mine won't be the whole story.

I've already come up with an ending! And I have all the pairings! There are many love triangles, if not a few love quadrangles. Review please so I can update! I'd update anyways, though. But still review!


	3. Monkeyin’ Around

**Chapter Three: **Monkeyin' Around, Lots Of Ears, And Daily Mews (touché, 4Kids, n.n)

Minto seemed freaked out through the whole slumber party. She kept looking over her shoulders and things. Purin got there as fast as she could after Minto told her something was in her house, but nothing was there. Everyone thought that she had been lying, but Purin started to believe when Minto wouldn't stop being so paranoid.

The next day Purin got to the café early, as usual. There's nothing to do at her house when there are no kids to take care of. She got into her uniform and saluted in front of Ryou.

"Ryou-onii-chan na no da! I'm ready for work no da! What can I do no da?" She asked.

"You're always here early Purin, and then wanting to work. Such a strange way to behave at the age of ten…." Minto philosophized. "Why don't you take a break every now and then?"

"Purin gets bored if she takes breaks na no da!" The answer came. "Now what can I do no da?"

"You can clean the dishes from yesterday that Ichigo never finished." Ryou suggested, scowling at the thought of Ichigo not finishing work…. again. Purin just nodded and ran off into the kitchen.

She picked the plates up and began cleaning them, throwing them into the air and catching them, fully dried, and set them in their place.

She messed up once when she got to the tricky part and was throwing five plates into the air at the same time. One of the plates missed its mark and broke on Purin's arm, slicing it open deeply.

"ITAI!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. She grasped the end of the cut, like she was blocking blood from getting into it. She ran into the lobby to find Ryou, Keiichiro, and three other Mews, one late. (Guess who?) They didn't know she was even in there and they froze right where they were.

Retasu's eyes became large and almost dilated-like. She had stopped in mid-step and with a tray full of plates.

Minto had been drinking tea and had the cup in her hand at the entrance to her mouth, her eyes also wide and the pupils very small.

Zakuro had been sweeping the floor and stopped, her eyes the same way.

Ryou had been at the cash register, fixing something, and had his hand in his hair, scratching it when he stopped moving.

Keiichiro was putting cookies on the table, and was still doing what he was doing. He looked up to see the others staying still.

"What wrong na no da?" Purin asked. "It's not _that _bad a cut no da…."

Keiichiro heard Purin and looked at her holding her arm. He gasped.

"Ryou! Her arm!" He said, one moment too late.

The flesh ripped open on Retasu's right arm, making her squeal in agony and drop her tray full of plates.

Minto's drinking arm was instantly cut open, leaving her choking in pain and trying to get all the tea out of her lungs from breathing in.

Zakuro dropped the broom and began grunting, holding her now bleeding and cut open arm.

Ryou had gotten blood all on his face, since his right arm was the one in his hair.

"Oh, great!" Minto manages to croak. "There goes my drinking arm!"

"Why—why did thi…this happ—happen?" Retasu asked, taking very deep breaths, trying not to shriek again from pain.

"I would think it happened because you all were injected with animal DNA." Keiichiro guessed. "That would explain why it happened to Ryou too. You're all connected in that way, so you—feel what the others feel?"

Retasu looked up.

"Shirogane-san is hurt?" She ran over to him and pulled his arm off of his head.

"It's not that bad," He said. She let go and blushed.

"G—gomen nasai…." She backed away, cradling her own arm.

"Then, what happened with Ichigo?" Zakuro asked. Everyone stared at each other at that thought.

**At the park where Ichigo is, seconds before Purin's accident….**

"Arigatou, Aoyama-kun, for taking me here! This place is beautiful in the summer!" Ichigo said, smiling. The park was very pretty in the summer, when all the people could come and see it.

"I think it's happier when you're here." Masaya said, tapping Ichigo's bell, making it jingle. "I know I am."

Ichigo's heart began racing again, thumping louder and louder.

"No," She thought out loud. "I can't get too nervous. I can't, I _won't_."

"Why not? Your ears will only pop out…." Masaya said. Ichigo looked up and him—

And froze. Her hair was in front of her face and her eyes were wide and full of fear.

"Eto…. Momomiya-san?" Masaya waved his hand in front of her. "What's wrong?"

She suddenly fell to the ground and grasped her arm.

"NYA! NYA NYA NYA NYA NYA NYA!" She shouted. She began tearing up at the pain. "NYA!"

"What's that?" Masaya asked, bending over to his girlfriend. She turned away from him.

"I—it's nothing. I have to go." She said, getting up and running.

She made it to the café finally and opened the door with a bloody hand. She instantly fell onto the tile floor.

"We've been wondering when you'd show up." Ryou's voice said, bandaging Minto's arm.

"_YOU _DID THIS TO ME?" Ichigo shouted, holding her arm. "I was in the park with Aoyama-kun!"

"Ichigo-san," Retasu came up to Ichigo with first aid boxes. "It happened to all of us, so it's not all on you." She grabbed a hold of Ichigo's arm and pried it away from her chest, which was where it had lain for the run to the café. "Though, this _does _look a little worse,"

Ichigo sighed. "Well, what _did_ happen to make us all do this?"

"We all had animal DNA injected into us." Retasu said.

"Not _again!_" Ichigo whined. "What is it _this _time?"

"You didn't let her finish, Genius." Minto griped. "She means that we're all connected because of the DNA."

"And then Purin dropped her plate on her arm no da. And everyone got hurt na no da! Gomen nasai no da!" Purin screeched.

"So all of our arms split open, too." Ryou showed her his bandage. "Remember I injected myself with cat genes, too."

"Then we know that Keiichiro didn't get hurt. He doesn't have any animal DNA in him." Ichigo inferred.

"That's right," Keiichiro smiled. "I'm perfectly fine."

"There's a bigger problem than our hurt arms." Zakuro said. "This will complicate things to a whole new level. When someone gets a _paper cut _the others will feel it and get one too."

"It's all Purin's fault na no da!" Purin was crying.

"It's not your fault. We would have figured it out sooner or later," Minto said, trying to smile.

"And what about her ears and tail?" Ichigo screamed. "Only Purin and ears and tails came out! How come not the rest of us? Didn't we get hurt as much as she did?"

"That is something I can't answer." Ryou said, sighing.

There was a noise in the kitchen.

"What was that?" Minto asked, standing. Keiichiro stood in front of her, trying to see through the kitchen doors.

"Let's check it out." Ryou said. He walked into the kitchen, holding Ichigo's hand on one side and Retasu's on the other.

"Have your pendant out to henshin, just in case." Ichigo warned her friend.

When Ryou opened the doors, the thing disappeared. There was no trace of it.

But the kitchen was a mess. Pots and pans were everywhere, the pastries were splattered onto the floor, and the drinks were staining the tables.

And knife marks on the walls.

"Those look like the knife marks Kisshu's knives made." Ichigo murmured.

"We'll get this cleaned up later." Keiichiro said. "Right now, go watch the news. They're talking about the Mews on it."

Retasu, Ichigo, and Ryou ran into the lobby where they had installed a TV for the Mews before and after work.

On the news the bulletin said "Daily Mews" and had the five in a very familiar pose.

"_We have had reports from one mysterious man about the identities of the Mew Mews. Tokyo Mew Mew was first seen on the Animal Show when a giant snake attacked Fujiwara Zakuro."_

"Feh, very nice. I wasn't attacked. If anything I saved _Ichigo's _life."

"_Here is the report we got from the man:"_

There was silence as the Mews and company listened to see if the info was true.

"_Mew Ichigo really has red hair and goes to the school near the park."_

"They didn't even say the name!" Ichigo sounded insulted. (I can't remember/find the name of the school.)

"_Mew Minto was recently transferred to that same school, and is very rich."_

"It's all true! Who is this guy?" Minto asked, crossing her arms.

"I didn't know you were transferring to my school!" Ichigo sighed, letting the man continue.

"_Mew Retasu goes to Okumura Daifuzoku Junior High and was behind the attacks on students"_

"Oh!" Retasu brought up tears, gulling Ryou into letting her cry on his shoulder. They were both blushing.

"_Mew Purin lives alone with her four siblings and goes to Inohara Park to entertain people and gets her money that way."_

"Now I'll _never_ be able to go back and do that na no da! They'll know it's me no da!"

"_And finally, Mew Zakuro is actually a very famous person."_

_Click._

They turned off the TV.

"Great." Zakuro insisted.

"Who was that?" Ichigo asked.

"It had to be someone who knows who we are."

"Someone who is a traitor."

"It couldn't be Keiichiro or Ryou," Minto ordered. "They love us too much."

Both Ryou and Keiichiro began blushing.

"This can be dangerous. We need to find out who it is."

THE END!

AHH! SOMETHING'S HAUNTING THEM! Uhhh…. Yeah.

I think I might let the aliens come back in the next chapter. And that "you-get-hurt-everyone-one-else-does-too" thing will come in handy in later chapters, I assure you.

What's this? Someone is giving the _right _info to the media? Who is it? Why is he/she doing it? Will the Mews find who it is?

REVIEW PLEASE!


	4. Three More's Company, Nyan!

**Chapter Three: Three More's Company, Nyan!**

A whole week whizzed by after the Weekly Mews incident, and everyone was as paranoid as ever.

"Did you see the Weekly Mews thing last week?" Ichigo's friends would ask, walking about the mall and shopping absentmindedly.

"Yeah!" The reply would come. "I hear that they're going to have another one Thursday night."

Ichigo's human ears pricked up.

_I'll have to watch for that…. _She thought.

"We'll finally be able to know who the Mews are!" Someone else would state. They kept talking about it as they were walking through the mall.

"Do you remember that one of them goes to our school?"

"And has red hair! _That _narrows it down a bit."

"What about Ichigo?"

Ichigo snapped up from looking on the ground.

"W—what? What about me and the Mews? Me being a Mew? That's absurd." She stuttered.

"We were…. Just going to ask if you had any idea who they were." One of the friends reiterated.

"Oh! Heh heh heh, o—of course I _don't _know who they are!" Ichigo tried to cover. She put her arms behind her head and laughed sheepishly.

"Well, don't you think we should try to uncover who they are?"

"Yeah! We could be like a 'Mew Uncover Team!'"

"M.U.T?" One friend tried. "That's a good idea! Are you in Ichigo?"

"Oh! Would you _look _at the time! I'm late for work!" Ichigo excused.

"…….It's noon."

"Well… we have an early meeting. Drop by later or something! Ja ne!" Ichigo took off.

"BAKA!" She shouted at herself once she was alone. "BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA _BAKA_!" Of course she didn't have to go to work until three, so she had all this free time _away _from the Mew Crazy Kids.

"I suppose I'll have to do _something _away from my friends and _work, _since I'm not going there until I have to." She said to herself as she walked away from the mall plaza and into a nearby park. The grass was greener than at Inohara Park, and they had a swing set lined up in the middle.

"_Koneko-chan!" _

"Nani?" Ichigo spun around once, trying to find the one thing that ever called her by that name.

Kisshu.

"It's just my imagination…." She convinced herself, sitting on one of the swing set's swings. "Kisshu can't be here, he left months ago."

"_Fuu-Rai-Sen!" _Ichigo heard Pai this time, springing off one of his attacks. Instinct told her to jump off the swing set, away from the attack.

"NYA!" She screamed, catapulting off the swing and landing on her feet in front of it.

Nothing happened.

"This is strange…." She said, rubbing her chin. "I don't understand why I'm hearing things."

She searched through her pockets for her pendant. She found it in her sock (good place for it, too) and squeezed it.

T T T T T T

"**M-M-Minto…." **She whispered into her pendant. **"Minto, please be there."**

Minto took the vibrating and speaking pendant out of her dress pocket and left the crowded room quickly.

"I'm here, Ichigo." Minto's reply came instantly. "What's wrong?"

"**Something's here, Minto." **Ichigo said. Minto heard a whirring sound next, and a slight gasp. **"I'm getting freaked."**

"You're probably just freaked about everything that's been happening to you." Minto reassured, more for herself than for Ichigo.

"**No, Minto, I'm _sure _I heard something." **Ichigo contradicted, her voice more desperate than before.

"Really?" Minto was more puzzled than anything.

"**Yes. I think th—" **There came a pause. **"HHAAAAAAAHH!"**

_**BOOM!**_

Then there was nothing.

"Ichigo?" Minto asked. "_Ichigo?_"

The next thing she heard was heard all over Tokyo.

"**MEW MEW STRAWBERRY METAMOREPHOSE!"**

"ICHIGO!"

TTTTTT

Ichigo had _tried _to get her friend to understand what was going on, but something had wrapped its arms around her waist. She was instantly transported over from her standing point a bit.

"HHAAAAAAAHH!" She screamed, jumping into the air and making the arms let go. Her ears and tail pop out as she flipped over and landed on the ground.

BOOM!

"Nani!" Ichigo whirred around to face the swing set, which was now in ruins. There was a battle taking place where the swing set once stood. She instantly recognized one of them as the one that teleported her.

Kisshu.

"Kisshu?" Ichigo stammered. "What are you doing here? What is that? Why is it attacking you? OH!"

Ichigo picked up her pendant again and shouted out the magic words.

"MEW MEW STRAWBERRY METAMOREPHOSE!"

"Pai, look! We've found Koneko-chan already!" Kisshu sounded delighted.

"Good, she can help us with these things." Was Pai's emotionless reply.

"Why would the Oni-Baba (they use that in the anime, it means Old Hag) want to help us? She might break a hip." Taruto sang.

"I'll show you!" Ichigo summoned her little Bell-Bell. "What are we battling?"

"That thing," Pai pointed to the sky, where a giant eagle was flying over-head. "It's a rouge Chiremal Animal."

"Alright! Ribbon Strawberry Check!" Ichigo attacked the Chiremal. It had no effect. "Nani?"

"That's not good!" Kisshu was flabbergasted, slapping his forehead.

"What if we all attack it together?" Pai suggested.

"Let's do it!" Taruto threw a fist in the air. "Oh, and Oni-Baba, remember not to break that hip in the process." He whispered to Ichigo. She growled and prepared to attack.

"Ribbon Strawberry Check!" Ichigo screamed as loud as she could.

"Fuu-Rai-Sen!" Pai's fan sent a wave of air onto the Strawberry Check before his real attack fused with Ichigo's.

"Dragon Swords!" Kisshu's dagger thingies created a form of pure energy, throwing it at the Chiremal Animal.

"Ha-ha-ha! Take that!" Since I don't know what Taruto screams when he attacks, that'll have to do.

The four attacks together hit the Chiremal and made it disappear, the eagle with it.

Ichigo landed on the ground with her Mew uniform still on.

"Uh, Kisshu, what just happened? Why are you back? Why was a _Chiremal Animal _attacking you?" She asked. All Kisshu did was smile.

"You remembered me!" Kisshu said, teleporting closer and trying to kiss her.

"HENTAI!" She screamed at him. She left a hand print on his face. Then he was suddenly tackled by a blue blur.

"Leave her alone!" Minto screamed. Her blue jumper was getting all muddy, but she didn't care. "You're just as perverted as ever!" The others, Ryou, and Keiichiro ran up from behind Minto.

"Honestly Kisshu, you'd think you'd learn by now," Pai came into view too.

"P—Pai?" Zakuro's voice stumbled for the first time in a while.

"Pai-san!" Retasu bowed slightly, making Ryou grunt and frown.

"What are you _three_ doing back?" He asked coldly.

"How'd you know I was here?" Taruto teleported in. He was upside down, showing extreme boredom.

"Taru-Taru na no da! You came back no da!" Purin jumped on top of the poor alien, making him fall down.

"Hey! Don't call me that!" Was Taruto's reply.

"Let's not discuss why we're here until we get to the café." Kisshu threw his arms over Minto and Retasu's shoulders, making Minto flush white and Ichigo cross her arms. "There's a lot we have to explain."

"Alright," Keiichiro eyed Kisshu carefully and led the others away.

What they didn't know was that someone was watching them from the bushes. Someone who now had new information to give to the news people in two days.

THE END!

THEY'RE BACK! YAY! That'll keep you guessing! n.n Review please!


	5. Daily Mew II and More Bad News, Nyan!

**Chapter Five: Daily Mews II and More Bad News, Nyan!**

The Mews, aliens, and creators got to the café, they locked it up tight and went into the basement. Kisshu floated by close to Ichigo, a little more protective and territorial than he was before he left, which was very strange. Pai was also watching Retasu and Zakuro very closely, in case anything happened.

No one could tell if Taruto was watching Purin or trying to run away from her.

"Now that we're somewhere where no one else will hear us, tell us why you're back." Ryou said, quick to the chase. "Are you here to try to take over the world again? Did the Mew Aqua not work? We have more, if you want it."

"We're not here to cause trouble!" Taruto sounded offended. "We're trying to prevent it!"

"What?" Ichigo asked, sitting in a chair and helping herself to some cake Keiichiro always had down in the basement. "What trouble?"

"I think I should tell our tale from the beginning." Pai said. Kisshu sniggered.

"Just don't bore them to death, Monotone." He warned. He received a glare from his comrade.

"Alright, it all starts just before the final battle between us and you. We were discussing a back-up plan incase Deep Blue didn't succeed. In the end, we decided to place small Chiremals around Tokyo, where no one would suspect them and where they could grow peacefully.

"These Chiremals are just as intelligent as us, they're always learning and growing. They can grow to be maniacal, or they can become nice, tame pets.

"When you gave us the Mew Aqua, we returned to our planet and restored it to its beautiful aura. We don't need Earth any longer. Kisshu, Taruto and I became kings in our world.

"We had totally forgotten about the Chiremal Animals, which were now probably huge and very smart. A few days ago Taruto mentioned it, making us remember them. We came back to see what had happened with them."

Zakuro raised her eyebrows.

"Lemme guess: they're now evil and want to take over the world." She asked. "That sounds a little familiar."

"But they're super-intelligent, much more than we had anticipated. They can communicate with few, including everyone here, and can duplicate themselves rapidly. They're also fiercely evil." Kisshu sat on the table right next to where Ichigo was seated.

"Great, more bad news, nyan." The poor cat girl griped, feeling her cat ears. "First my friends want to be like the weird dude who's getting all that information on us, then my ears and tail pop out and won't go back in, and now we've got to kill those psychotic Chiremals."

Everyone began to ask questions all at once.

"Your other friends are going to track us!" Minto screamed.

"Why won't Koneko-chan's ears go back in? Did you try to push them back down?" Kisshu asked, flicking the black ears.

"You've got a problem with killing Chiremals that are trying to take over the world na no da?" Purin jumped up into Taruto's lap, making him fume.

"There's a man who's slipping _correct _information to the news about you guys?" Pai asked Zakuro.

"Why is everyone shouting?" Retasu asked over and over, trying to politely get their attention. It wasn't working. She grunted and began looking around for _someone _who would listen to her and help her get the attention of everyone.

"Let me try," Ryou laid a hand on Retasu's shoulder. Then he walked over to the squabbling people. "HEY! SHE'S TRYING TO SAY SOMETHING!" Everyone grew quiet and looked at Ryou. He cleared his throat. "Ahem, thank you. Now, what did you want to say, Retasu?"

Retasu's eyes opened wide as she heard the words coming loudly out of Ryou's mouth. She turned a deep crimson and looked to the ground. Not only had he shouted at everyone to get their attention, but he had also said her given name!

"Uhh… what I was going to say was…uh… it was, uh… it was nothing…." She couldn't take all the sudden attention. She placed her head in her hands so she couldn't see the eyes placed on her.

"Retasu," The voice wasn't Ryou's voice, it was much sterner and harsh. Retasu took it to be Pai's voice. He just made her turn more red, if that was humanly possible. "What were you going to say?"

The last part sounded more soft and delicate than ever. Retasu couldn't help but looking up for a minute to see his face. It was not as harsh and emotionless as it usually was, and that made Retasu feel a little happy.

"Uhh… I was going to say… _we _can explain what's been happening, and Ichigo-san can explain what happened with her other friends once we're done, okay?" She murmured.

"Alright, then na no da!" Purin shouted. "We'll start no da!"

"There's a guy out there who knows who we are and they're feeding info to the news stations about us." Zakuro explained. "He started around last week and they're going to give more information in two days."

"Was I the _only _one who didn't know about that?" Ichigo hissed, slouching down in the chair and folding her arms.

"Well then you tell us about your other friends." Minto sneered.

"Fine," Ichigo sat up and stuck out her tongue. "Today in the mall before I saw Kisshu and the others, my friends were talking about the Mews. They said that the guy had the right idea about trying to find out who we are. So they made up their own team, and tried to get me to join."

"So you're like a double agent?" Taruto asked.

"She's like a SPY na no da!" Purin questioned too.

"I didn't tell them yes! I ran off before they made me answer." Ichigo excused. "I don't like the idea of being a double-agent and lying to my friends like that."

"Ichigo, you've been lying to your friends like that for the past year." Ryou explained. "By not telling them you're a Mew."

Ichigo lowered her eyes and slouched down in her chair again, staying silent and deep in thought.

"They'd just turn into a big fan club and mutilate her privacy and destroy her life." Kisshu tried desperately to come to Ichigo's rescue. It didn't really help; she just kept her head down and stayed even more silent.

"And there's something wrong with us, na no da!" Purin jumped up onto the table, resting her chin on Ichigo's head. "If our ears and tail pop out, they won't go back in no da!"

"And when one of us gets hurt, the others do too." Retasu quietly retorted.

"_Which _reminds me!" Ichigo suddenly became perky again, holding her pointer up in the air. "Who was the one who got the paper cut, and then decided to cut some lemons? I screamed in the middle of the mall!" Purin blushed.

"Guilty, na no da. I was reading a book when I got the paper cut, and then I made fish for my siblings no da. One of the ingredients is lemons na no da." She rubbed her feet across the floor embarrassingly.

"Wow, this is all really weird." Kisshu conceited.

"Looks like we're going to have to live here," Taruto said.

"WHAT?" All the Mews and creators shouted. "That was sudden."

"Actually, we had already planned to, but we had to figure out some way to convince you. This is as good a chance as any." Pai said in his usual emotionless tone.

"Alright, we'll get you some hats so you can go out in public without causing a scene." Ryou crossed his arms and left the room.

"Eh!" Retasu flinched. "I'll go help…." She wandered off in the direction Ryou had.

"Look at the time! I'm terribly late for tea!" Minto ran up the steps.

"It's boring down here," Taruto whined, teleporting out. Purin jumped after him.

"I'm coming too, na no da!"

"I don't have an excuse, but I'm going upstairs." Pai walked up the stairs himself, with Zakuro close behind him, not even trying to talk.

In the end, only Ichigo, Kisshu, and Keiichiro were left in the basement.

"Well," Keiichiro started as he walked towards the stairs. "Don't stay down long."

Kisshu and Ichigo were sitting next to each other silently for a while when Ichigo finally broke the silence.

"I'll make a deal with you, Kisshu." She said, smirking. "I know you want to love me, and you know that I love Masaya. So, how about we compromise?"

Kisshu's face brightened. "You'll break up with him if I obey your every command?"

Ichigo giggled. "No, not that. We can be close friends. We can go on dates and things, but they won't be dates, they'll just be friends, having lunch, or seeing a movie or something along those lines."

Kisshu smiled. At least she was making an effort to be friends with him now other than trying to rebuke him all the time.

"Alright, fine." He held out his hand and she shook it.

TWO DAYS LATER….

Pai had been taken to the mall, escorted by Zakuro, Taruto had been taken to a museum with a drowsy Purin and an exited Retasu, and Kisshu had been taken to an amusement park by Ichigo. Anyone could tell they all had a blast, whether or not most of them didn't want to divulge it.

It was two o'clock on a hot summer day and the news came on.

"_Daily Mews: The man called back! He has more information on the Mews, and another clue to discovering their identity. Here goes his message:"_

The aliens and the Mews paid close attention, while Ryou and Keiichiro set cakes and things on a table for later.

"**_Mew Ichigo has ears and a tail that pop out occasionally."_**

"Darn it!" Ichigo slammed her hand down. "At least they don't know they won't go back in now."

"_**Mew Minto takes ballet, dancing, flower arrangement, and all sorts of extra-curricular activities."**_

"They aren't extra-curricular! They're hobbies!" Minto pouted.

"_**Mew Retasu often goes to the Tokyo library to look for books of fish."**_

"Looks like I'm going to have to find myself another library and another kind of book… great…." Retasu rested her head on her hand.

"_**Mew Purin's little sister goes to the Kindergarten closest to Tokyo Tower." **_

"And now I have to find Heicha a new school!" Purin screeched.

"_**And Mew Zakuro deals with paparazzi daily."**_

"It's not necessarily _daily_, but he's awful close." Zakuro crossed her legs.

"_**The next time I come on, I will tell you who the leader is."**_

_Click._

Keiichiro turned off the TV as everyone else stared either at the now blank screen or at Ichigo.

"He knows who I am…" She breathed. "I'll be found out…."

"No, we'll find _him _out first." Pai announced.

THE END!

Dun dun DUN! Ahem…. Sorry, sorry, couldn't resist. The next chapter will be a little better, because Ichigo has her first _real _encounter with the evil-Chiremals in front of everyone at the mall! Will they realize that their loveable, clumsy girl is really Mew Ichigo, or can she defeat the Chiremals without transforming?

And a loophole through the pain connections? You'll just have to find out! Review please!


	6. Very Cruel Chiremals, Nyan!

**Chapter Six: Very Cruel Chiremals, Nyan!**

Ichigo strolled through the park on a Saturday morning, heading towards the mall. She now had a red poofy hat on her head which concealed her cat ears, and she had to wear baggy pants so her tail had plenty of room to move. No more short shorts for her…. She sighed.

What could go worse with her life? She had cuts on her legs from when Retasu fell in the gravel, her ears and tail were now _permanently _out, and she had to get rid of new Chiremal Animals. She hadn't even seen them yet!

She sauntered into the mall and looked around for things. She had gotten some money from her allowance and from Ryou, because he had finally given all of them raises. She now got fifteen dollars an hour. She had plenty of money to spare with the hours she'd had to put into he café!

She walked into her favorite shop, Mew Extravaganza, to see what else they had about her and the other Mews. Ever since that guy started those _correct _rumors about them, the store had skyrocketed in sales.

"Ohiyo gozaimasu," She said to the clerk as she came in, waving her hand and smiling.

"Oh, Momomiya-san! You're always here! A big fan of the Mews, are you?" The clerk started a friendly conversation with her. Ichigo put her hand on her hat to feel her ears and make sure they were in the right spots.

"You might say that, yeah…." She shrugged and walked on in the store.

The store was full of plushies and beanies and posters; but some of the items were weapons other Mews might use if they ever needed them.

"We'll never need those," Ichigo always muttered to herself. She walked by her least-favorite photo, one with her and Kisshu fighting together to get rid of that eagle Chiremal. Not that she still hated Kisshu, but it gave the people the wrong ideas about the Mews.

"Ichigo!" Moe's sweet voice rang in Ichigo's mind as she turned to watch her friend approach with Miwa and an armful of bags. "I thought that was you!"

"Oh, hi Moe! Miwa!" She took some of the bags from her friend and smiled. "What are you two doing here?"

"We're shopping!" Miwa squealed.

"Specifically for things for M.U.T." Moe specified.

"Um, yeah. That's nice. You might find some stuff in here." Ichigo and her two friends wandered to the back of the store when they heard an explosion.

Glass went everywhere, and customers squeezed into the corner of the store.

Ichigo was shoved into the corner, all the air knocked out of her. She had no sight of Moe or Miwa. Then she heard a gruff voice.

"_W-who isssss M-Momo-m-miya Ich-Ichigo?" _The voice scraped through her mind like fingers on a chalkboard. She covered her ears, but it spoke again. _"W-WHO?"_

Finally, Ichigo uncovered her ears and pushed through the people.

"I'm here." She said while pushing through. She stopped when she got to the front of the people. There were three LARGE locusts staring her in the face. Their claws were huge and their eyes were like humans.

"Ichigo?" Moe's voice was behind her. "Can you understand that thing?"

"Yes, I can." Ichigo called back. The one in the middle began to move its mouth, trying once more to speak to her.

"_A-ah, sssssso yo-you're M-Momo-m-miya Ich-Ichigo. Or sssssh-should I ssssay_: _M-Mew Ich-Ichigo?" _The locust cackled. Ichigo gasped. _"B-but, llet m-me talk in a-a v-voicccce th-that eve-everyone c-can underssstand."_

"What do you want with me?" Ichigo asked, trying to mask the urge to transform right then and there. Her pendant was in her sock again, so she couldn't get to it without them knowing.

"**There, now everyone can understand us, not just the strawberry." **The left locust said. His voice was no longer scratchy, and everyone could hear it. The locust on the right glided forward.

"**We are the heads of the Rouge Chiremals, but you can call us the Rouges." **It cackled and Ichigo stepped backwards.

"What do you want with us?" She screamed.

Now the one in the middle came forward. His tail was like a lion's, long and slightly furry. It touched Ichigo's hat.

"**My, such a darling hat you have on, young one." **The Rouge said evilly. Ichigo's eyes narrowed.

"Get your filthy tail off of me, gnat." She growled low inside of her throat, letting the Rouge know he had gone far enough tormenting her.

The Chiremal pulled its tail back and kept its eyes on Ichigo. Then it whirled around and brought its large claws intact with Ichigo's cheek. She stayed in the same spot, but there was a gigantic cut on her cheek. She touched it and looked at her hand. Blood. Her friends would soon feel the pain, she knew. She didn't want them to hurt because of her. She tried to hold it in.

**X.X.X.X.X.X.**

Everyone else was in the café sitting.

"Where's Ichigo-san?" Retasu asked.

"She took the day off," Zakuro answered.

"She's going to that mall by herself." Minto took a sip of her tea.

"She left without me…." Kisshu sulked.

"We've got work to do," Pai crossed his arms.

"But why did Ichigo take off then?" Taruto asked once more.

"Because she's worked hard enough for a while." Ryou didn't look up from his computer.

"She's having _fun,_ na no da!" Purin screeched.

"Does anyone want cake?" Keiichiro walked into the room with a cake.

"Itai!" Purin screamed. She grabbed a hold of her cheek. "Is my cheek bleeding na no da?" She asked.

"No, but I felt it too…." Minto said, flicking her own. "I'll bet Ichigo just slipped and fell in a shop."

"And cut only her cheek?" Zakuro questioned. "And why did the pain suddenly stop? And there's no blood, not even proof that anything was ever there." Everyone was silent after that.

**X.X.X.X.X.X.**

Ichigo made no sound. Made no move, nothing. She just stood there, looking at her hand.

"Ichigo!" Miwa found her friend with blood on her hand. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"**We're going to show everyone what you are, strawberry." **The Rouge whispered to her.

"Miwa, move back." Ichigo mumbled, trying to keep from crying. She shook her hand onto the Rouge, splashing blood onto them and the floor.

"But Ichigo—"

"_I SAID_—" Ichigo shouted the words out of anger. She took a deep breath and calmed down. "Move, back…." Miwa and the rest of the people huddled even tighter into that corner.

Ichigo was planning to act like she was tying her shoe, then grabber her pendant and jump up to the second floor where she could transform without anyone knowing. She moved onto the ground and almost had her pendant in between her fingers when the Rouge struck her again.

She screamed in pain and flew towards a wall. Posters and plushies went everywhere, stained in blood. Ichigo wiped her blood away from her eyes and mouth, and sighed.

She held up her fists. If she couldn't transform, then she would fight them by hand.

"**Oh, the young one is getting brave," **The one in the middle said. It cackled and rushed towards Ichigo.

Ichigo jumped into the air and kicked the Rouge, sending him flying into the air.

The other two flew after her. She jumped once again, landing on one so she could propel into the air and smash his face into the ground at the same time. Then she landed on top of the other, landing it on the other grounded one.

"Don't mess with me," She growled. "You'll regret it, nyan."

"**We'll see about that. You have no weapon." **The ones on the ground sputtered. Ichigo ran over to a spear sticking up out of the ground. It was supposed to be one of the Mew weapons, but it was as good as any. But it was cemented into the ground, to prevent theft. Ichigo jumped once more into the air and whirled around, kicking a cut clean across the bottom of the spear, making it come loose.

"Ichigo, you can't be serious! The last time you fought like this was with—" Moe tried to talk her friend out of it.

"I know, I know, but I have no choice." Ichigo shuddered at the thought of _that _man coming back into her thoughts.

The three Rouges came at her again, and a battle ensued. Those three against a non-transformed Ichigo. For five minutes she dodged through it without a scratch, but then they got the spear out of her hands.

Ichigo had to refer back to kicking. But this time they ganged up on her. They pushed her into the middle of them and began slashing her around with their claws.

"Ahh! Ahh!" She kept screeching every time they hit her. Her scratches were getting worse and worse, but she tried to hold them in. _I have to get out of this myself, _she told herself.

Her pendant started beeping and vibrating. She gasped.

"_Ichigo? Ichigo, are you there?" _Ryou's voice came out of her pendant.

"No, please, not now…." She whimpered.

"**Isn't this fantastic!" **One of the Rouges said. She was hit again. This time she didn't whimper or anything, trying to wait until Ryou hung up the line on her pendant.

They hit her again. This time was unexpected, and she let it slip through the defense she set up for her friends.

**X.X.X.X.X.X.**

"Okay, now I think something's up." Ryou said, coming out of the basement. "Ichigo isn't answering her pendant and—"

The four Mews and Ryou all froze in their spots.

"Hmm? Nani, Purin?" Taruto waved a hand in front of his yellow friend.

"Are you guys alright?" Kisshu asked Minto right in her face.

"Kisshu, move!" Keiichiro warned the alien.

Soon the café was full of screams as five people went down to the floor, holding their legs. Then they all passed out.

"I'll get the first-aid kit!" Keiichiro ran out of the room.

"Zakuro! Retasu! Are you alright?" Pai knelt down and examined their right legs.

Claw marks. Pai laid his hands on their legs and mumbled something. Their legs lit up and the cuts were gone.

"Kisshu! Do the same to the other two. Taruto, heal Purin." Pai commanded. His friends nodded and went to do their job. "Retasu? Zakuro? Open your eyes." Pai laid Zakuro's head on his folded legs. "Please, hurry up."

Zakuro and Retasu finally squinted in the light.

"What happened?" Zakuro saw who she was laying on and turned a deep red. She sat up.

"I remember my leg hurt so much, then I was here…." Retasu looked around. She saw Kisshu working on Minto and Ryou. "Shirogane-san!" She bolted over to him.

"He's alright, just give me a minute." Kisshu said. "There."

Ryou sat up and looked around.

"Ryou! You're—!" Retasu slapped her hands over her mouth. She had said his given name! "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to—"

"It's alright." Ryou smiled. "I kind of like it, _Retasu_." He stressed her name to show he really meant he didn't mind.

"Purin is okay now, na no da!" Purin jumped up. "But we gotta find Ichigo no da!"

"Right! Let's go!" Minto stood up shakily and they all ran out of the café.

"I'll teleport to the mall and try to help her!" Kisshu disappeared before anyone could object.

Right after everyone left the café Keiichiro came through with the first-aid kit.

"Hey! Where is everyone?"

**X.X.X.X.X.X.**

"St-stop it!" Ichigo screamed, tears now streaming down her face as she took the blows one-by-one. Anger took over the last of her fear and she could feel her hand turn into a cat's claw. She meowed loudly, lashing out at one of the Rouges. It fell away from the circle and let Ichigo loose from their wrath. She stood in front of the now terrified people with her face to the Rouges. She was furious. "How dare you come in here, trying to attack a defenseless person? I won't have it!"

The Rouges came at her again, but she met them head on, punching them this time. They all fell to the ground.

"Leave me alone." She growled. "You're pathetic, trying to attack people instead of the Mews. Why would you do that?"

"**Grrrrr… KILL HER!" **The leader (it seemed) Rouge screamed. They all ran towards her again. She just stood there.

"No," She knocked them back again. "Go away. Don't come back."

The three struggled up from the ground, and flew away.

"**But we'll be back!"**

Ichigo waited until they had left and fall onto the ground on all fours, just breathing. She was in pain, with all the cuts on her. Her whole face probably looked like her hair, now.

"Ichigo, are you alright?" Moe and Miwa asked when the Chiremals left.

"Don't… don't touch me… I can… can g-get through this." Ichigo smiled at her friends. "I'm just resting." She forced herself up off of the ground, holding her arms together for balance. She stumbled once and fell back over.

"K-Koneko-chan?" Kisshu's voice was scared and surprised. Ichigo suppressed the pain in her neck and lifted her head to the alien. "What happened?"

"I-I'm fine…." Ichigo felt her legs tremble veraciously as she stood once more. "Just a couple of s-scratches…." She was totally out of energy and was about to fall to the ground once more.

"Don't you dare tell me that." Kisshu's voice was dark. He caught her from falling. "You're not fine." He looked at her wounds, then growled. "I can't heal this on my own."

"What are you doing with Ichigo?" Moe tried to get the girl away from Kisshu.

"N-no." Ichigo stammered. "He's alright; I'll be right back…"

Kisshu jumped lightly into the air and disappeared, melting back outside the mall.

"Kisshu! We're here!" Minto was waving her hand in the air while running. Then she saw Ichigo. "Oh my gosh, what happened to her?"

"I don't know, she couldn't tell me." Kisshu laid her on the ground.

"Chiremals…" Ichigo breathed.

"Don't speak right now, Ichigo." Zakuro placed a finger across Ichigo's lips.

"I can't heal her on my own, so help me, guys!" Kisshu growled at his friends. Pai and Taruto instantly knelt down next to the girl and began mumbling the incantations to heal her.

After a few moments, her cuts began to lessen. The blood disappeared from her face and body, and the scabs that formed on her body closed over themselves.

Soon Ichigo was well enough to sit up and breathe properly.

"Now, tell us what happened." Kisshu kept a tight hand on Ichigo's shoulder, supporting her so she could balance.

"I was in the mall, then the wall exploded. These _things _came out! They called themselves _Rouges _and hit me. I couldn't transform with so many people there. I had to fight by hand." Ichigo explained between breaths.

"It's a wonder you got out alive!" Keiichiro placed a hand on her head and rubbed it.

"I don't think their first intension was to kill me, Akasaka-san." Ichigo said, trying to stand. "They were trying to take my hat off. When I put up a fight they decided to kill me."

Footsteps were pounding into the ground towards the group.

"Ichigo!" Two frightened voices exclaimed. "Are you okay? Ichigo!"

"Moe! Miwa!" The two hugged their now healed friend.

"You're okay! We were so worried! We thought you were going to die! You're not, are you?" Moe and Miwa simultaneously asked.

"No, I'm not," Ichigo grinned. "I'm still me, nyan!"

-----

Two weeks later, no one knew who the mysterious caller was that knew the Mews. They tried everyone they knew, and it still didn't seem to work; no one knew all that information about them so quickly.

One day, once the Café closed, Ichigo was sent into the kitchen to bring out the cake and plates for the aliens and humans to eat on.

"We still didn't find out anything today!" Minto smacked herself on the head. "We're falling behind."

"We're working on it, don't worry," Zakuro reassured.

The door opened next to Retasu, who was cleaning a particularly stubborn stain on one table.

"We're sorry, but we're closed for the day." She absentmindedly stated.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just looking for someone…." The man's voice had a certain ring to it, Retasu had to look up.

The brunette man's chocolate eyes wandered to room for any sign of help, and Retasu came to his rescue.

"Do I know you?" She asked him, followed by an intrigued Minto. "You look familiar."

"Yeah, na no da!" Purin and Zakuro met the man at the door, nodding. "You look like someone we know!"

"Well, I'm looking for a Momomiya Ichi—"

The man was interrupted by ten plates dropping onto the ground, cake spattering not far behind.

Ichigo's voice was full of fear, both when she gasped and when she spoke.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?"

THE END!

I know, bad place to stop, but the next chapter shall be better! And sorry for the long updates, I've been drowned with school work! I'll try to speed it up a little!


	7. Ojisan Momomiya, Nyan

**Chapter Seven: Ojisan Momomiya, Nyan...**

"What the _hell _are you doing here?" Ichigo stepped back once, her mouth agape.

"There you are, child!" The man opened his bulky arms warmly and took three steps toward Ichigo. The child picked up a piece of glass from a plate and grasped it, the pointiest edge facing the man.

"What did you do to them?" She screamed, stepping back up against the wall. She was trapped.

"I was merely ensuing conversation." The man clarified. He turned his eyes to Retasu. "Isn't that right?"

Retasu nodded nervously, a little more than miffed about Ichigo's reaction to the man.

"**Mei (Niece)**, I did not do anything to your friends. It _pains _me to think that you would think such hateful thoughts about your Ojisan." The man placed a hand up to his heart and pouted his lips, taking another stubby step toward Ichigo. Her grip on the glass tightened. Minto saw a trickle of blood escape from her hand. She turned to face her own hand to see a cut wide open.

"Ichigo!" She scolded. Purin whimpered.

"Touch me, Ojisan, and I swear that I'll use this!" Ichigo ignored the pain in her hand, holding the glass up in the air. The man's face turned stern, and his voice darkened.

"Whether you like it or not," He whispered so not even Zakuro's Wolf Ears could have deciphered what he said. "You must deal with me here or at your home. You already have one _lesson _coming to you; shall I do one in front of your friends?"

Ichigo gasped vocally, dropping the blood-stained glass onto the floor. She stared at him for a moment, glanced at her friends—who were all watching her strangely, and then glanced at the kitchen door where Kisshu, Pai, and Taruto resided still. Then she sighed, hanging her shoulders back in surrender.

"There we go!" The gleeful voice returned and the happy grin splattered across the man's face as he embraced Ichigo roughly. She took it limply, grunting as he slapped his hand across her back harshly. "How's my little Mei?"

"Fine, Ojisan," She said dully, as if it was all she knew how to say.

Ryou was astounded. He stared at Ichigo with wide eyes. She was so behaved! She didn't smart off, she didn't give dirty looks, she didn't "Hmmph!" or anything.

In fact, that's what scared him. He hadn't heard what her Ojisan had told her, but whatever it was subdued her.

_Maybe it's just a lucky break, _he conceited. _Maybe she'll work now._

"Aren't you going to introduce me to any of your friends, Mei?" The man asked, laughing deeply. Ichigo shuddered.

"T-This is—"

"Oh, that child and her shyness. She doesn't even get out of it with friends around. Very well, I shall introduce myself. But we shall have a _lesson _when we get home." The man shook his portly finger at Ichigo, who scrunched her eyes shut. The man continued. "My name is Momomiya Hintaro, Shintaro's brother. But since you are friends of my little Mei, you may call me Ojisan."

"I am Midorikawa Retasu." Retasu bowed deeply, reddening as she saw the whites of Ryou's pants. Ojisan nodded.

"My name is Aizawa Minto," Minto said suspiciously. She looked the man over and raised an eyebrow. Ojisan simply bowed slightly.

"I'm Fon Purin na no da!" Purin jumped into the air and landed on Ichigo's head, toppling both of them over. Purin burst out into a fit of laughter, expecting Ichigo to join in as she always had. However, Ichigo merely stood up, helping Purin up.

"You stupid girl!" Ojisan snarled at Ichigo, making her flinch. "You could have hurt this young lady, and then where would you be? Another _lesson_!" Ichigo whimpered helplessly, but nodded.

"Yes, Ojisan."

"I am Fujiwara Zakuro." Zakuro said dully, glaring at the man. She didn't like him. She hated the way he seemed to pound Ichigo into the ground with fear. She wanted to get Ichigo away from him, even for a second, to see what the matter was. "Ichigo, I must talk with you privately. Please meet me in the kitchen." Ichigo jumped at her name being called, staring at Zakuro strangely. She remembered where she was and nodded.

"But it's not private! There's the aliens in the—!" Purin screamed. Minto slammed a hand over the little one's mouth and began whispering in her ear.

"Now, Ichigo." Zakuro said sternly. Ojisan's hand flew into the air, too close to Ichigo's face for anyone's liking.

"You heard the lady, Mei! Shall I give you another _lesson_?" Ichigo suppressed a squeal, dashing into the kitchen quicker than anything.

Zakuro quietly followed, walking nonchalantly, like she was only discussing work business. Ojisan scoffed.

"That girl never had a right head about her. Please excuse her." He bowed deeply. "It shames me to think that she puts you people through so much trouble."

Ryou sweatdropped. He despised this man now.

Ichigo dashed into the kitchen, hiding behind Kisshu, whimpering.

"What is this?" Kisshu joked. "Hide and seek?" All he received was a terrified whimper from Ichigo. She clung onto his shirt from the back and buried her face in it. Now he became concerned. He whipped her around, seeing tears in her eyes. Pai and Taruto glided closer to console Ichigo. "What's wrong?" He suddenly became angry. Looking at her terrified, utterly _horrified _expression made him want to kill everyone in Tokyo. "What happened?" Ichigo shook her head viciously, wiping the tears from her face and smiling brightly.

"I-It's nothing, I'm fine." She said almost faultlessly.

Almost.

"You didn't seem fine out there, Ichigo." Zakuro whispered, placing her hands on her girl's shoulders. "Who is he?"

"He's my uncle!" Ichigo smiled still, her voice now more controlled and stable. "He surprised me when he came in, that's all. I promise."

Zakuro stared at Ichigo's eyes, trying to find a reason not to take the promise. She knew she couldn't, that something definitely wasn't right, but she couldn't _not _accept the promise without a reason.

"Alright, but if you get into _any _trouble: **_any at all_**, you call me right away. Even if it's 3:00 in the morning, I'll be there." Zakuro said gently. Ichigo nodded. Zakuro looked around the kitchen. "Now," She said. "Get eleven plates, another cake, and come out here with these three, introduce them to your uncle, and have some cake! Don't worry about the other cake, we'll take care of it." Zakuro winked at Ichigo and left.

Kisshu still wasn't convinced. He couldn't believe Zakuro bought Ichigo's _obvious _lie about being fine. Of course she wasn't fine! She was _bawling! _He fumed, his hands clamped onto Ichigo's lower arms.

"Kisshu," Ichigo said. "You can let go, now." He let go of her gently, helping her get out the plates and cake.

"Put on your hats, guys." He said darkly to the other two. He needn't tell them twice. They were fixing their ears under the puffy things already. His expression changed almost instantly. "Who's your uncle?" He asked Ichigo happily.

"He's outside, I'll introduce you." Ichigo said solemnly. She took to plates and cake outside and set them on the table nearest the kitchen door.

"Uh—we'll be out in a minute," Kisshu declared. Ichigo nodded. She bent over the cake and stopped before cutting it.

"Ojisan," She called. Her uncle turned around to stare at her. "Would you like some cake?"

"Yes, I would. Thank you, Mei." Ojisan nodded approvingly. "One _lesson _taken off." Ichigo nodded, not looking up, and began cutting pieces.

"Mei," She looked up at her other name. "I notice you have eleven plates, yet you have seven friends (including me) here, and yourself. Where, pray tell, are your other three guests?"

Ichigo cringed. She was going to get it.

"I—um…. They're in the kitchen." She answered. "They're going to come out to meet you."

Ojisan growled, his temper flaring. Ichigo began cutting cake again, placing plates around the table for people to take.

"And why didn't you tell me that you had friends in the kitchen?" The man roared, quickly closing the distance between himself and Ichigo. She backed up, gasping.

"Y-You didn't—didn't ask!" She squealed. "I'm sorry! Please forgive me!" She bowed—again, again, again, again—

And again.

And again.

"Alright, Mei." Ojisan held up a hand, stopping Ichigo in her tracks. "I can see you were really trying. I shall not give you a lesson for this one."

Ichigo sighed. Where were Kisshu and the others? Where they having some sort of pep-talk?

"Thank you, Ojisan."

Keiichiro was now concerned. Ichigo never acted like this. _Never. _Something was wrong. He couldn't put his finger on _why_, but something drove fear into Ichigo at the sight of this man. When he walked through the door she threatened to stab him with the glass. That _certainly _wasn't natural.

Kisshu sauntered through the kitchen doors, followed by Taruto and Pai. They observed Ojisan and raised eyebrows at him.

"Ojisan, these are—"

"Boys!" Ojisan raged. Kisshu and the others jumped at his sudden blind madness. Ojisan instantly calmed down. "Alright, let's add on another _lesson _for that."

"But Ojisan—"

"Two!"

"T-These are—"

"Oh, I'll do it myself. Honestly, you need to learn how to control yourself in front of men. It really isn't becoming for a lady to stumble on her every word as you are always doing." Ojisan disregarded Ichigo and turned to the aliens. "I am Ojisan. That's all you need to call me."

"I am Pai."

"I'm Taruto."

"Kisshu."

Kisshu spat his words literally onto the floor, ready to strike that man dead as he stood. Ichigo was being oppressed, could no one see that? He rolled his eyes inwardly and controlled his anger.

"Excuse me, but I do recall the young lady Midorikawa-dono saying that it was closing time." Ojisan laid a hand to his ear and waited for his answer. He already knew it.

"Correct…."

He snatched a hold if Ichigo's arm and dragged her to the front door.

"Then I shall be taking Mei. She will be here on time tomorrow." He said.

And with that, he left.

THE END!

I came up with this in an hour and a half; people kept sending me PMs saying "PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE UPDATE!" So I updated. Next will be The Thief and The Fool. I'm already working on it. Please review!


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